Infected
by Kozmotis Pitchiner
Summary: Everyone loses eventually. (More ROTG zombie au.)


**A little excerpt I wrote for a roleplay that some friends and I are planning on Tumblr.**

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The supplies cascaded out of Jamie's arms as he fell, clattering across the hard, cracked concrete floor. At first, Jack didn't pay any attention-kids dropped stuff all the time. It was no big deal.  
But then, Jamie began to moan. Long, low moans of agony; a sound that was familiar to Jack. He turned quickly, fear sparking in the back of his mind. _That can't be right, these aren't the same, he's not... _  
Jamie was writhing on the ground, his teeth clenched and one hand clutching at his right arm. Jack ran back to him and crouched down, searching for blood or broken bones or anything but _that_...  
"Hey! What's going on, what's the matter, little man?" Jack asked. Jamie shook his head, a high pitched whimper escaping his throat. He was practically clawing at his arm, then his shoulder, then his chest-Jack grabbed him and pulled his jacket sleeve up, exposing his skin.  
There was no blood, there never was; just the dark streaks and blots where the infected cells had collected and the lines moving up Jamie's arm as the infection spread throughout his body...Jack ripped open Jamie's coat and shirt, hoping beyond hope that it wasn't too far, that they could stop it.  
But the black-blue lines were everywhere, crisscrossing Jamie's chest and neck and shoulders, creeping towards his face even as Jack watched. Jamie whimpered again, his eyes wide with sheer terror.  
"Jack! What's going on over h-" Bunnymund stopped short when he saw Jamie, instinctively drawing his knife and raising it.  
"Bunny, no!" Jack jumped up and pushed Bunnymund's hand down. "It's still Jamie, he's still in there..." Bunnymund stared from Jack to Jamie, his face showing every bit of the conflict that was raging in his mind. But he sheathed the knife again, and Jack turned back to Jamie.  
"Jack, I can feel it." Jamie's words were strained. "It's...everywhere, I can feel it in my blood and in my skin and in my _brain_-"  
"Don't worry, just keep fighting it," Jack said. He looked over his shoulder and shouted- "Tooth! Sandy!"  
The two other Guardians were in the room in a flash, holding their weapons ready. Jack heard Jamie's breath catch in his throat, and the kid tried to squirm away, away from the guns and knives...  
Jack grabbed Jamie's head in his hands, keeping him still and forcing him to keep eye contact. "We're not gonna hurt you, I promise."  
"Jack, what's happening?" Tooth asked. She hurried over and peered over his shoulder. He heard her gasp, and heard the hammer on her gun click back.  
"No! Tooth, it's still Jamie!" Jack pushed her back. "Stop pointing your weapons at him, you're making him nervous!" The more worked up Jamie got, the faster his blood pumped, and the faster the infection spread to his nervous system.  
Jack's mind was racing, trying to remember his father's experiments, trying to remember what he had done to keep Emma sane for so long. But nothing was coming to him; he only remembered a myriad of serums and pills that he didn't have and that probably didn't even exist anymore.  
"There has to be another way," he muttered. He turned around and grabbed the first aid bag that Jamie had dropped when he fell, and dumped its contents out onto the ground. Bandages, medical tape, needles and thread...  
"Jamie? Why are you on the ground?"  
_No, no, _Jack thought. He looked up and saw Sophie standing a few feet away, staring at her brother in confusion. _No, Sophie, you can't see this, you can't know! _He glanced at Jamie again, and, to his horror, saw that his face was covered in the lacy black pattern and his eyes were losing their brightness quickly.  
"Jamie...?" Sophie stepped forward, probably wanting to comfort Jamie, but he let out an animal-like growl and lunged at her with outstretched hands. Both Jack and Tooth grabbed him, forcing him back to the ground. He writhed again, blinking hard. Jack could see him fighting for control.  
"Jack," he gasped, "Jack, this isn't gonna stop." He arched his back and screamed in pain, his hand clutching the front of Jack's hoodie. "I can't-do this much longer-"  
"No, just keep fighting it, kid, we'll fix this." But Jack wasn't even sure of his own words anymore. They felt strange on his tongue, felt strange coming out of his mouth. Like he didn't believe them anymore.  
Jamie pulled Jack closer, feeling around his belt until his hand closed on the handle of the hunting knife Jack carried. He pulled it out and pressed it into Jack's hand.  
"Come on," he grunted. Jack stared at him, shaking his head.  
"No way. No."  
Bunny and Tooth and Sandy were still standing there, watching Jack and Jamie with expressions of horror and pity. They all knew what Jamie was asking, and they all knew what Jack was thinking.  
"Jamie, what-?" Sophie trailed off, and Jamie let out a dry sob. He pressed the knife into Jack's hand again, forcing him to take it.  
"Please, Jack," he said. "But take Sophie away first. Don't...let her see." His eyes were dull now, and the expression on his face flickered between human emotions and a dead, hungry look. Jack shook his head again.  
"I can't," he whispered. "I won't." Sophie was crouched beside him at this point, her eyes wide with fright. "I can't."  
"Jack, d-do it!" Jamie shouted.  
"No!" Jack yelled back. "I just-I can't! I won't kill you!"  
Then Sophie was pulled from his side, and there was a deafening bang. Something whistled past Jack's ear, burning it a little.  
And then Jamie was still.  
"Take her." Jack dimly registered Tooth's voice saying Sophie's name, and Sophie asking questions that he doesn't understand. He didn't look around as their footsteps faded away, nor when he heard the clomp of Bunnymund's heavy boots moving away. He didn't look around when someone knelt down behind him, pulling him close and rubbing his back, murmuring in his ear. He didn't understand what they were saying, but he recognized the accent.  
"Pitch...what did you do?" he whispered hoarsely. Pitch's breath tickled his ear as he sighed.  
"I put him out of his misery, Jack. Don't worry. The girl didn't see." Jack could smell the gunpowder and smoke. "It was the kindest thing to do..." Pitch reached up and wiped a tear from Jack's cheek, and it was only then that Jack actually realized that he was crying.


End file.
